conversation heart candy
(Photo by Laura Ockel on Unsplash)

Best Of The Best Valentine’s Day Candy: Top 5 Sweet Treats, According To Expert Reviews

February 8, 20230 comments
by Stephanie Vallette

Valentine’s Day is a reminder to show our love and appreciate for our better halves, and what better way to do that than with candy? Or, you could just enjoy a sweet treat all by yourself (we certainly won’t judge). After all, who can resist the special edition treats set out with tender loving care by the candy companies? There are so many mouth-watering sugar bombs out there, you might just find the aisle of pink and red holiday heart candy a tad overwhelming. But you’d do anything for the one you love, right? Even if it means braving the store for the best Valentine’s Day candy? 

Valentine’s Day is a special time for couples to celebrate their love and affection for each other. But a Plenty of Fish study revealed 67 percent believe Valentine’s Day shouldn’t be a purely romantic holiday — since they would rather share the day with their single friends than feel pressure to land a date. Another 43 percent of singles (50 percent of women and 36 percent of men) believe Valentine’s Day should include all forms of love. But does that mean you have to share your beloved candy with everyone you love?! 

Your sweet tooth would beg to differ. A poll of 2,000 Americans revealed that the average person first picked a “favorite candy” around the age of 11 and has stuck with it ever since. And shocker: 52 percent eat more candy now as adults than they ever did as kids. Four in 10 respondents gravitate toward “fun-sized” candies. Meanwhile, one in three prefer chewy candy the most, making it the most popular texture among respondents.

But whether you prefer chewy gummy bears, chocolate, heart-shaped candy, conversation hearts or caramels, there’s a Valentine’s Day candy out there for everyone. But only five could make the list of the best Valentine’s Day candy, according to experts. Keep reading to find the perfect sweet treat for your sweetheart (or for yourself). And make sure to leave us a comment with the candy you love!

The List: Best Valentine’s Day Candy, According To Experts

1. Brach’s Valentine’s Day Tiny Conversation Hearts

These sweet, bite-sized candies are a Valentine’s Day staple. According to Best Products, “‘Conversation candy’ has been around since the 1860s — originally as party favors at weddings — emblazoned with eyebrow-raising phrases like ‘Married in satin, love will not be lasting.’ Of course, nowadays, the phrases have been updated and thankfully shortened, so these bite-sized classic treats can tell your sweetheart to ‘Be Mine’ or ‘Kiss Me,’ or even tell your ‘BFF’ to ‘Text Me.’” 

The Pioneer Woman chooses this classic pick, too: “Conversation hearts are a must on Valentine’s Day. Have a ‘heart 2 heart’ with your crush by exchanging these cute mini sweets.” 

They even steal the hearts over at Restaurant Clicks: “Tiny Conversation Hearts are one of the most classic Valentine’s Day candies! These tiny, pastel-colored hearts come with an assortment of love-themed phrases like ‘Kiss Me’ and ‘Be Mine.’”

conversation hearts in a bowl
Brach’s conversation hearts (Photo by Laura Briedis on Unsplash)

2. Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts

The Cut raves about Reese’s: “Reese’s is the undisputed champion of any and all holiday candy. Valentine’s Day is no different. They are delicious.” 

Guilty Eats doesn’t even feel guilty about talking up these hearts: “If you’re an OG Reese’s fan, then you’ll just already know that a Reese’s always tastes better when it’s in some sort of different shape. Whether we’re talking about Christmas Trees, Pumpkins, Ghosts, and even Hearts, these little guys cannot be missed any time of the year. The feeling of unwrapping a Reese’s and seeing a non-cup shape is truly one of the best feelings in the world!” 

TODAY thinks Reese’s makes ordinary chocolate-covered-peanut-butter confection extraordinary: “Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts are nothing fancy, nothing new, but they sure are delicious. The peanut butter filling is thicker than the usual cups, but that’s not a bad thing. The milk chocolate ones are an old standby that still delivers. I love them!”

3. Cupid’s Mix M&M’s

Cupid has definitely shot his arrow at PureWow because they’re in love with these M&M’s: “It’s just a fact: Set a bowl of M&M’s out and they’ll disappear in a few minutes flat. This seasonal version features white, pink and red M&M’s stamped with lips, roses and Cupid’s arrows. Our favorite thing about these poppables is that there are endless ways to use them. Toss them in a bowl of popcorn, include them in a DIY sundae bar or bake them into cookies.”

The Miami Student likes how festive they are, saying, “M&M’s are pretty much the same deal as Kisses, although they get a slight bump on my list because they at least have a special Valentine’s version with only red, pink and white coatings. They taste exactly the same as regular M&M’s, but at least they look cute and festive!” 

“These M&M’s are pink, red and white-colored and they taste like regular M&M’s. They are a classic candy and are extremely easy to eat on the go or share with others. On the website, you can order a big heart or in a classic M&M’s candy,” Wooton Common Sense writes.

4. Hershey’s Hugs & Kisses

Candy Funhouse suggests giving Hugs & Kisses for your loved one: “These uniquely shaped chocolates are a very clever Valentine’s Day gift, don’t you think? Hershey’s introduced Kisses in 1907, and now the Kisses are one of the most popular candy brands on the market. So how about a Hug and a Kiss for your special sweetheart this year?” 

It’s A Southern Thing says, “It makes sense that candies called Hugs and Kisses would go over well on a day dedicated to love, so we’re not too surprised to see these bite-size Hershey’s chocolates come up close to the top spot of our ranking. Can you get these tiny, aluminum-foil wrapped sweets year-round? Okay, yes, but do they somehow seem to taste better during the month of February? Absolutely.”

“Hershey’s will never go out of style and Hershey’s chocolate will always be a fan favorite. Hershey’s Hugs are a cute play on their usual Hershey’s Kisses, with a few extra bits of flair thrown in for good measure. The ‘hug’ part of the Hershey’s Hug is actually a coating of white chocolate that’s been ‘hugged’ by milk chocolate, to create a multi-layer Hershey’s Kiss that’s unique and full of two flavors as opposed to the average of one. These usually only make an appearance around Valentine’s Day, so stock up,” The Travel says.

5. SweeTarts Conversation Hearts

Sarasota Magazine recommends celebrating V-Day with this sweet and sour candy: “For a tangy surprise, opt for these seasonal hearts, which combine the palate-scraping sourness of SweetTARTS with a romantic shape and amorous messages.”

“Conversation hearts are a quintessential Valentine’s Day candy you can gift on their own or add to any present. The candies have messages on them like ‘love bug,’ ‘honey bun’ and ‘cutie pie.’ You can also combine the hearts to make a cute and tasty message, according to the brand. Flavors include cherry, banana and orange,” NBC News writes.

The Daily Meal raves, “While classic chalky conversation hearts are really only OK, SweetTARTS found a way to improve on this retro treat by shaping their tart fruit-flavored candies into hearts and printing sayings like ‘Cutie’ and ‘XOXO’ on them. Tangy, sweet and perfectly bite-sized, these conversation hearts are what the originals wish they could be.”

Finishing and ending the list with conversation hearts must mean the experts really like when their candy talks back! Do you? Let us know in the comments. <3

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Note: This article was not paid for nor sponsored. StudyFinds is not connected to nor partnered with any of the brands mentioned and receives no compensation for its recommendations. This post may contain affiliate links. 

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